He Chose Me
by Ex Nihilo ad Omnia
Summary: "Do you regret becoming mortal for me?" Chihirio awakens from a nightmare and is confronted by Haku's mortality.


**A/N: As I have recently finished my mid-terms for English 12, I have become a grammar freak. I went back and looked at all my stories I had written a few years ago...I nearly poked my eyes out. My errors were that bad and that obvious. Anyway, considering I did not have the documents easily available on Fanfiction anymore, I had to take almost all of my stories off the site to edit them. :P**

**So many of my stories have been reposted. Thank you to those who read and commented the first time I posted this story. You are appreciated. :)**

**Sincerely,**

**Ex Nihilo ad Omnia (formerly DaughteroftheSon)...or more simply...Ex Nihilo.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

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**He Chose Me**

A wedding, in any culture, is a huge event. And Chihiro Ogino's wedding was no different.

"I never thought this day would come," said Mrs. Ogino with tears pooling in her eyes. Chihiro, admiring herself in her gown, smiled at her mother and looked at her mother in the mirror without turning toward her.

"Did you think I'd grow old alone?" Chihiro joked good-naturedly. Her mother laughed.

"No, no, honey. I only meant-"

"I know what you meant," interrupted Chihiro as she turned to her mother. Mrs. Ogino held out her arms and Chihiro stepped into them. The two women stayed that way for a few minutes, the older crying freely now. Chihiro moved to wipe her own eyes and her mother pushed away from her.

"Look at me," she sniffed, "I'll get your dress all wet and rumpled."

Chihiro pulled her mother back into the warm, comforting embrace.

"Oh Mom, I don't care."

Ever since the incident with the spirit world, Chihiro had become extremely close to her parents; especially her mother. Mrs. Ogino wiped a few wisps of graying hair and attempted to compose herself as she stepped away from Chihiro.

"It's almost time," she said cheerfully, "I'm going to go get your friends. They wanted to help me do your makeup and hair."

Chihiro nodded as her mother hurried out of the bathroom. Once she was alone, Chihiro turned slowly back to her image in the mirror.

She had come a long way from the awkward, whiney, plain girl of ten who had entered the spirit world almost fifteen years ago. Everything about her had changed. Gone was the shyness, the nervousness, and the whininess. Gone was the straight brown hair, the round cheeks, and the gangliness. Chihiro had grown up and filled out. Her body was one of grace and her figure had become lean. The hair she so often had tied back had disappeared. It was now black like her father's hair and had a slight shimmer. A new face adorned her; heart shaped with delicate features. To all who saw her, she was a knockout.

But the one thing that hadn't changed were her eyes. Still doe brown, they lacked the ignorance of youth and now possessed a personality no one could quite comprehend.

No one that is, except for the love of her life.

"Knock, knock," came a smooth voice like running water from behind her. Chihiro whirled, her dress flaring out like a flower, and saw him standing in the doorway.

"HAKU!" she cried and leaped toward him. Haku caught her effortlessly and pulled her close to his broad chest. He looked handsome and unchanged. His hair, so black it looked green, had been cut to fit human standards so now it spiked stylishly around his face. Other than that, nothing else had changed. His eyes and face had only grown older in look. A small bit of stubble ringed his jawline. Chihiro reached up and stroked Haku's face lovingly.

Haku tilted up her chin and found her lips with his. Chihiro closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the warmth of his closeness.

"You look wonderful," he said quietly against her lips. Chihiro opened her eyes and smiled.

"So do you," she replied dreamily. Haku laughed quietly.

"Maybe," he conceded, "But you outshine me, my love."

_My love._

It sounded so right coming from him. From anyone else it would have cheesy or too personal. But when Haku said it, it made every nerve in her body vibrate with happiness.

"You know you're not supposed to see me yet?" Chihiro asked him. Haku studied her in her dress.

Creamy white fabric hugged her frame and accented her ivory complexion. Delicate pink cherry blossoms cascaded down the right side to create a splash of color that lit up the gown. To top it all off, rhinestones glittered everywhere and made Chihiro's eyes sparkle.

"I couldn't resist," Haku admitted, "I am going to spend the rest of my life with you. So what's seeing you a few minutes early?"

_The rest of my life…._

The words echoed harshly in Chihiro's mind, but she shook them away and stood on tiptoe to kiss Haku again. He smiled in the kiss and put his arms around her.

The sound of giggling caused the couple to break apart and look guiltily at many girlish faces peeking in at the private moment.

"Shame, shame." The girls chorused together and laughed happily. Chihiro blushed and stepped away from Haku. He grinned at the girls and then at Chihiro.

"Forgive me girls," he said courteously, "I must go." Then he left the room. Chihiro looked longingly after him as her friends, tittering and giggling, led her to the valise to do her makeup and hair.

888888888888

The time had finally arrived. As Chihiro stood arm in arm with her father, she shook with excitement and fear. Her father glanced down at her.

"A new life with a new person to live it with, it is a bit scary."

Chihiro smiled and looked up at him.

"I think I can handle it," she said quietly. Tears formed in her father's eyes.

"I just want you to know," he said shakily, "That I'll always be your daddy."

Now tears misted Chihiro's vision as she hugged her father. He kissed her cheek and then the doors opened in front of them. Chihiro blinked in the sunlight as she stepped out onto the path. Her legs felt like rubber when she saw Haku standing at the end, smiling at her. He was stunning in his white rosy dress shirt and white pants. Everything was just as she always dreamed it would be.

'Even better' she thought to herself.

She kept her eyes on Haku's as she walked the few final steps before her father let her arm go and she stepped up to stand by Haku. He intertwined his arm with hers and looked at her.

The vows spoken were beautiful, but completely wasted on the two standing at the altar. The only thing Chihiro heard as she gazed at Haku's face were the words "until death do you part".

"I do." They both had promised, but Chihiro frowned as she thought about the vows.

Until death do you part….

Death. Whose death?

Haku? Haku's death.

Chihiro had a sudden realization.

Haku would someday…..die.

Suddenly, Haku swept Chihiro close to him. His eyes locked on hers and the fear melted in Chihiro's heart. She reached up to put both on his chest and…

It wasn't his chest.

Chihiro's hands splayed lightly on the glass of the ICU unit. She gazed at her hands and noticed how wrinkly they were. Life had done that to her she knew. A hand rested on her shoulder. Chihiro looked slowly round and saw a young man looking at her with great affection.

Somehow Chihiro knew this man. And his name.

The young man swallowed thickly as he gazed beyond the glass wall.

"I'm sorry Mom." He said with sorrow in his voice, "I came as soon as I could."

Chihiro looked at himand realized why she knew this man.

'My son. Boh'

She turned from the man and looked back through the barrier and saw the person who was lying in the bed.

"Haku." She whispered. Haku lay prone in the bed hooked up to many machines that beeped and flashed. But the blips and lights were faint.

A door down the hall opened up and an older man in a white lab coat came out. He walked up to Chihiro and Boh.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Rivers," the doctor said slowly, "I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do for your husband."

Boh gasped and choked. Chihiro looked at him and then back at the doctor.

"What?" she asked, "What do you mean."

"Mom," Boh said. Chihiro glanced at him and he pointed to the room. She followed his finger and saw that the beeps and flashes had ceased.

"No," Chihiro whispered, "No, no, no, no, NO!"

"NO!"

Haku blinked awake in the darkness. He lay there for a moment, wondering what had woke him. The room around him remained quiet and still. Haku was about to let sleep claim him again when he heard a small whimper beside him. He rolled over and looked closely at Chihiro. She was sweating and shivering.

Alarmed, Haku reached out and gently began to shake Chihiro.

"Chihiro? Chihiro wake up."

Chihiro's eyes popped open and she sat up with a quiet gasp. Her head whipped around frantically as she took in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. Her gaze fell on Haku.

"Haku?" she whispered.

"Yes, love, it's me." he said gently. Chihiro flopped back onto her pillows with a sigh of relief. Haku snuggled back up beside her and pulled her close to his body. Chihiro rested her head against his powerful chest and listened to his heartbeat. His mortal heartbeat that now slowly ticked away toward death.

"Do you regret becoming mortal for me?" she said quietly, tears making her vision cloudy. Haku started.

"No, I don't," he said as he looked down on her, "Why do you ask?"

"A dream I had made me think about it." she whispered into his neck as she snuggled closer to him. He laid a hand on her face, the touch cool where his wedding ring shone on his finger.

"Well, forget your dream. I'm here and I don't regret a second of it." He said sternly. Then he kissed the side of her fevered face tenderly. "Go back to sleep. I made the right choice. And so did you."

With that, Haku closed his eyes and was soon asleep again. Chihiro listened to his heartbeat a little while longer. Then she smiled and got as close as she could to her husband. Sleep dreamily claimed her.

She never dreamed that dream again.

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**A/N: You must know, I actually don't like this story. It was impulsively written and I cannot find anyway to change it so the story is the same. But, some readers liked it the way I have it. So, despite my writing OCD, I have reposted it in vintage style. Hope it is still well-received.  
Thanks!**


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